In this report, we discuss two papers that deal with computing Morse function on triangulated manifolds. Axen [1] gives an algorithm for computing Morse function on a triangulated manifold of arbitrary dimension but it not practical because of its space requirement. Hence, he describes an algorithm for computing critical points and their Morse indices for a 2-manifold. Edelsbrunner et al. [2] d...

It is proved that the critical cells of a discrete Morse function in the sense of Forman on a finite regular CW complex can always be detected by a polyhedral Morse function in the sense of Banchoff on an appropriate embedding in Euclidean space of the barycentric subdivision of the complex. The proof is stated in terms of discrete Morse functions on a class of posets that is slightly broader t...

In the case of smooth manifolds, we use Forman’s discrete Morse theory to realize combinatorially any Thom-Smale complex coming from a smooth Morse function by a couple triangulation-discrete Morse function. As an application, we prove that any Euler structure on a smooth oriented closed 3-manifold has a particular realization by a complete matching on the Hasse diagram of a triangulation of th...

It is proved that every discrete Morse function in the sense of Forman on a finite regular CW complex can be represented by a polyhedral Morse function in the sense of Banchoff on an appropriate embedding in Euclidean space of the barycentric subdivision of the CW complex; such a representation preserves critical points. The proof is stated in terms of discrete Morse functions on posets.

A. In this paper we use Morse theory and the gradient flow of a Morse-Smale function to compute the linking number of a two-component link L in S 3 , by counting the signed number of gradient flow lines passing through each component of L. We will also use three Morse-Smale functions and their gradient flows, to compute Milnor's triple linking number of three-component links by counting ...

For all masses, there are at least n ?2 O 2-orbits of non-collinear planar central conngurations. In particular, this estimate is valid even if the potential function is not a Morse function. If the potential function is a Morse function, then an improved lower bound, on the order of n! ln ? n+1 3 =2, can be given.

In 1974, Mark Goresky and Robert MacPherson began their development of intersection homology theory (see [24] in these volumes), and their first paper on this topic appeared in 1980; see [12]. At that time, they were missing a fundamental tool which was available for the study of smooth manifolds; they had no Morse Theory for stratified spaces. Goresky and MacPherson wished to have a Stratified...